clubs | bars | cabaret | life #QXGayLondon GAY LONDON /0 tAPRIL QXMAGAZINE.COM 18 Suitable only for persons years of 18 and over. What’s in store…? Put your wig on tight, leave the boyfriend at home and get ready to dance hard as DALSTON SUPERSTORE celebrates five years of adventures over East print + web iPad + iPhone TheSuper- DALSTON SUPERSTORE put queer East on the map five years ago. With an incredible array of club nights, Club combining explosive DJs with the most mentalist drag queens and trannies, you don’t get more bang for your buck than a weekend at the ‘Superstore. Owners Mikki Most and Dan Beaumont plied Cliff Joannou with plenty of prosecco and told him just how they pull it all together every week… Photos by Franc-off Godevi CLIFF: Why is Dalston Superstore the and not just do the obvious dog's bollocks? stuff. We both ran clubs DAN: Come down to our birthday next Sunday before [TrailerTrash and Disco and we’ll show you … Bloodbath] and putting on great You’re on. How has Dalston itself evolved DJs is fundamental. We’re open over the past five years, and what impact day and night, and I like the has the ‘Superstore had on the area… idea you can come for a decent DAN: When we started out people thought we cocktail and some food early were crazy trying to open a gay bar in Dalston! evening and still be here at 4am MIKKI: Yes, we were pretty much the first bar in the morning dancing… There’s in the area, and certainly the first gay bar, so I not too many places offering that think people thought we were mental. We’ve in London. opened up a lot of doors in the area for people For such an intimate club though, and it’s been amazing to be part of spot, you’ve had some very Morales playing for four hours, and multiple helping make Dalston cool DJs jump at the visits from people like Optimo, Horse Meat more diverse. It’s chance to play there… Disco, Chloe and Spencer Parker. Plus, our been stressful at times DAN: The best thing about amazing residents – it wouldn’t be the same but the booze helps! “ Music, booze, programming your own without Hannah Holland, Borja Peña, the Little How have you set discotheque is that you get Gay Brother guys, Lovely Jonjo, Dave Kendrick, it apart from other food and fun! to bring all your favorite DJs Jos Gibson and the Duchess of Pork et al. gay venues? over to play. Highlights for MIKKI: Absolutely, we recently had the guys DAN: Music, booze, You never us have been an amazing set over from Members Club in Berlin for B(e)ast food and fun! You from Prosumer in the early and the music was really amazing and fresh for never know what know what to days, Erol Alkan dropping a London. It’s great to have the freedom to bring to expect at the disco set, the legendary David over international talent and introduce it to our ‘Superstore. You expect at the scene over here. could fine John Sizzle And it’s the place to put a wig and A Man To Pet ‘Superstore” on it… reenacting the Human MIKKI: It’s part of what we are Centipede on the and to be honest all the best bar - don’t ask! - and nights I can remember at then pop downstairs ‘Superstore have involved for dance courtesy of wigs and heels flying some hot young DJ around all over the place. we’ve found in New So many of our regulars York or Berlin. turn up in flats and leave MIKKI: Yes, we’ve in heels, it’s what gives the always tried to push place its sparkle. things a bit here Dalston Superstore DAN: [Laughs] Yes, our bar (117 Kingsland High St, E8 2PB) very often gets mistaken for a celebrates its 5th birthday over stage by our bewigged regulars the May Bank Holiday weekend doesn’t it? We wouldn’t be the venue with the main party on Sunday we are without the support of people 4th May, 6pm - late. like Jonny Woo, A Man To Pet, John Sizzle, Jacqui Potato and Glynn Famous. In fact we are still in awe of their talents… not to mention their ability to stage dive in heels on a Friday night without sustaining any injuries. 2 Whatis BEAUTY? Albino supermodel Shaun Ross was taunted by bullies as a child, but is now one of the most sought after faces in fashion. Following on from his ‘Radical Beauty’ talk at the TEDXHackney event, Patrick Cash went to meet him at the Dalston Superstore to talk more about modern ideas of beauty. they automatically look ugly to me. And who are the most radically beautiful people you yourself have encountered in your life? Grace Jones. Because Grace Jones is so different, even as a person, what is she like Tell us a bit about yourself. some sort of validation from fifty or sixty? She’s still I’m obviously a fashion model, of course, but another person because you walking around in a I’m just a very creative individual that likes to can’t find it within yourself, leotard and high stilettos do all kinds of different things. which is why a lot of men, and a mink. I mean come Talking about radical beauty itself, especially gay men, are very, Photo: Vilanova Vinicius on, it doesn’t matter, and in my research it said you suffered very insecure, they don’t she doesn’t have the body at the hands of bullies as a child, even really notice it. of a supermodel and she how does it feel to have been both Just looking for fleeting affirmation? embraces it and I love that. And she’s probably taunted for the way you look and to Of course. Even getting a lover, it’s: ‘I want to be one of the most radically beautiful people I’ve have been more recently celebrated? with him because we look good’, more so than ever met. I mean the taunted came more so from when ‘we feel good’, and that could be the reason why Do you think there’s a hypocritical aspect I was younger. When you’re younger you a lot of gay relationships don’t really last. to modern society’s treatment of beauty? definitely go through things. You know kids So, what to you is beautiful? I think that it’s very hypocritical because while are cruel and kids say mean things. But the Certain things are not meant to be jammed you’re saying that you want to be innovative and taunting and everything, it definitely made me in a jar and certain things are not meant to be different, you’re showing the same shit. stronger to do the things I’m doing today. categorised, so that’s beautiful and beauty to What do you think would push people Does it keep you grounded? me. Beauty as a feeling, like an air you can’t forward to doing something different? It definitely keeps me grounded, especially really feel, you can’t explain, you just know how People like me. People like myself and you. Like when I look at other people and I see what it feels and you’re like that’s beautiful. having a gay magazine about gay men doing they go through, it keeps me grounded, And what to you is physically successful things as if you were reading another because it’s like ‘I’ve been there before, that’s beautiful? magazine. It’s making what we feel unnormal the very familiar.’ Physical beauty doesn’t exist to me. norm, because it is normal. Do you think the contemporary gay But there must be some guy in a club Excellent. And finally, this is a kind of scene is too obsessed with aesthetic, who you walk in and think ‘wow!’ devil’s advocate question, but what to the way people look? Well, I have a boyfriend. you is ugly? Without a doubt. Predominately in gay culture That doesn’t stop you looking. When I see people who don’t live their lives you have Grindr and you have Instagram I look at people and I think they’re hot but I’m the way they want to, that’s ugly to me. When I where you post pictures of yourself on social a very logical person, that’s my problem. I’ll see somebody living a false life, that’s very ugly, media of your body and things like this, and look at a boy and think ‘Oh my god, he’s so extremely ugly. it’s like ‘why are you doing that?’ The only cute’, but I know x, y and z, why this would So truth is beauty? reason you’re doing that is because you want never happen, why it would never work, so Yes. www.facebook.com/ModelShaunRoss www.tedxhackney.co.uk - curated by Daniel Vais 4 THE INFORMERTHE WHO, WHAT, WHY, WHERE, WHEN OF GAY LONDON… THUMBS UP NEW PROSTATE CANCER GROUP FOR GAY MEN Saturday 26th April, 2pm West Greenwich Community Arts Centre, 141 Greenwich High Road, SE10 8AJ Metrocentreonline.org Equality and diversity charity SUPER WALKERS METRO have joined up WALK FOR LIFE – ‘HEROES, HEROINES AND VILLAINS’ with Prostate Cancer UK Sunday 8th June to launch a new group The theme for this year’s Walk For Life is ‘Heroes, Heroines and for gay and bisexual Villains’, raising money for HIV and sexual health charity the men in London and Terrence Higgins Trust.